Tuesday, April 21, 2015

1979 – Wib’s web at Speedway

He’s hoping to become Wib Spalding, the profitable
owner of the Godfrey Speedway race track. Spalding, a native of Granite City, has
purchased the track from Clay Landon, the Speedway
owner the past six seasons. Landon, a former school teacher and coach, packed
his bags and moved to Arkansas.

Enter Spalding, age 45 and a weekly driver at the Speedway during the 1950's.
Wib’s web of intrigue begins tonight when the 1979 season gets under way at the
Godfrey track, located off Route 67 near Bethany Road.

Time trials are set to start at 6:30 with the racing show beginning about 7:30.

The Speedway
season will run through September.

During the Landon years, the Speedway kept a similar format; late model
stock cars, semi-lates and amateurs. Spalding will revise the system a bit.

“We have changed it slightly. Instead of the semis, we
are adding the sportsman class. And the amateur class is being changed to a
hobby stock class,” he said. The late models will remain the same.”

Why the switches?

“I don't think we had enough semi-late model cars so
by dropping that class, it causes the fellas to build more late-model cars,” he
said. "’The hobby (or street) stock class is practically the same as the amateur
class.”

Spalding said he also intends to keep some of Landon's
innovations such as: point standing charts in each classes, awards, mid-season
championships and end-of-the-season championships. However, he is phasing out
the “street car” special event because of possible insurance problems.

Presently, Spalding and his family are huddling in a
camper at the track. The Spalding's, who have been virtually living at the
track the past three weeks, make their residence in Granite City. Wib said be is working daily in
an attempt to get the track in suitable condition for Saturday's opener.

“We have had some problems caused by the rain in the
parking lot. But overall, it's in pretty good shape,” he said.

Admittedly, purchasing any racetrack is a gamble, but
Spalding likes the odds. He thinks the speedway can become a successful
business and pleasure venture.

“I feel that I know my drivers and this area
(Alton-Godfrey) is growing,” he said. “With the mall going in and everything, there
is even the possibility that we may make the track bigger.”

The oval speedway track is currently a quarter-mile.
“I don’t think we could make it into a half-mile track but it would be
comparable with that kind of track,” Spalding speculated.

The Granite
City (Tri-City) Speedway
track that Spalding drove on for a number of years featured a half-mile set up
until 1978, when it was converted to a quarter-mile ring. This season, however,
the Tri-City track is once again a one-half mile length oval.

Spalding was somewhat of a local legend during the
salad days at Tri-City Speedway. Spalding won several point titles and various
major races. He rates his championship in the 100-lap open competition race,
the final event of the 1977 season, as his biggest thrill at the track.

But Spalding's days go beyond the recent years at Granite City. “I ran two months
one season at the Godfrey Speedway during the 1952 season and I drove there in
1953. In fact, I drove there until the speedway closed,” said Spalding, a
carpenter by trade.

Although Landon helped to reopen the speedway during
the 1978 season, Spalding preferred to drive at Granite City. “I liked the big track in Granite City,” he added.

Spalding is crossing his fingers that he and his
fellow drivers will enjoy the new look Godfrey Speedway just as much.

Familiar names like Lou Janssen, Mike Hammerle, Jake
and John Sects, Randy Butler, Kevin Goss. Lou Thery and George Carroll, just to
name a few, are expected to continue motoring around the speedway track.
Spalding hopes to add a few more drivers, too.

“I have a lot of friends in this area and I know that
86 cars ran the final week of the season last year. I don't think we will lose
a car,” he stated confidently.

If that's the case, Spalding shouldn't have too many
problems adjusting his repertoire from speedway driver to speedway owner-driver.

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Preserving the history of Midwest Auto Racing

So much racing history has been made through the years right here in the Midwest.

From the rich dirt ovals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska to the paved short tracks in Minnesota and Wisconsin, some of the best drivers ever to get behind the wheel of a race car competed right here in the heartland.

We all have our own story to share about our favorite driver who thrilled us everytime they rolled onto the track or that one particular race that still stands out as the greatest they ever saw.

We'll go back in history, 10, 20, 30, 40, even 50 years ago (even more) and reminisce about what has made racing in the Midwest so special for us.